Queensland political editor

It was billed as the "year ahead lunch, with Premier Campbell Newman", an opportunity for the party faithful to hear the Liberal National Party plan for the next 12 months.

But the fundraising event offered little in terms of policy direction, instead acting as a platform for the government to bring attention to the achievements of the past year.

Mr Newman said his government was working on a 30-year plan, which a series of summits would help form.

Advertisement

"What we need to do next though, is develop this plan ... a plan with real buy in for Queenslanders right across this state," Mr Newman said.

"So we are intent on rolling co-optive, entire communities if we can, industry and all levels of government to help us work out where we are, who we are and what most importantly, we want to be in the future.

"It is absolutely, totally crucial. If we don't know where we are going we could end up anywhere. I don't believe for a moment that governments should just operate on auto-pilot, they must set a vision and a clear direction and the best visions and plans that are developed are the ones that truly have buy-in from as many people, as many diverse interests as possible."

Beyond that, details on how the government will encourage the "green shoots of recovery" to grow were scarce.

Instead, there were broad statements.

"When we took over a year ago we made five solemn pledges to the people of Queensland," Mr Newman told the audience.

"Grow a four pillar economy, lower the cost of living, deliver better infrastructure, revitalise front line services and restore accountability in government.

"I am very proud to say that we have delivered or are making meaningful progress on all those pledges.

"The first year of the LNP government has been a year of change and a year of action that Queensland so desperately needed. Now we must capitalise on the strong start and look forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

"Yes, we must continue to address the financial situation because we can not build tomorrow's infrastructure if we keep racking up debt.

"But we also must make sure we strike the right balance between resolving the state's financial mess and improving infrastructure and revitalising frontline services."

Mr Newman gave a laundry list of how the government had spent its past year - making tough decisions, cutting red tape, reforming the health department, maintenance, finding efficiencies and making changes to education among them.

But when it came to moving forward, the list was not so black and white.

"In the year ahead, I am very confident we will see the fruits from Jeff Seeney's hard work in regards to the Galilee Basin and Surat Basin infrastructure as well as the Surat Basin rail project," Mr Newman said on resources, which is one of the LNP's touted four economic pillars.

"We must rebuild agriculture to rebuild Queensland," Mr Newman said on another pillar, adding that he was heartened to see the work done so far to that end.

The One William Street project and the Great Keppel Island resort project were among those named checked as helping to see construction, as the third pillar, move forward.

"Tourism as an economic pillar has a vital impact on Queensland and it is particularly vital because it employs young people," Mr Newman said.

"In the year ahead, we are very confident we are going to see some enormous returns from the investments that we made and the hard work of Jann Stuckey , the Minister for Tourism and her team."

Some of those investments were mentioned such as additional spending on tourism advertising and working to entice the airlines to make new routes into Queensland.

"So what is the result of all this? Well the results are really exciting," Mr Newman said.

"In the last few months of last year, ... the tourism visitations in Queensland were up eight per cent on the previous year."

"Green shoots" is the new "back on track", Mr Newman repeatedly mentioned the phrase during his speech, in relation to the economic recovery.

"We've seen some really positive signs of recovery for the economy and those first green shoots," Mr Newman said.

"And we are eager to see how they sprout during this second year. This is truly a can-do government and although we are on the right track, most of the hard work still lies ahead of us.

"We do face and continue to face an enormous task in turning the state around....

"There are no easy solutions, or straight forward solutions at hand. But you have a government that has shown that it has the commitment, the energy, the drive and the ongoing passion to make these things happen."

16 comments so far

Absolutely disgraceful. To think of all the regressive moves he has made, revoking almost every LGBT right that he could and completely shaking the foundations of our Health System... and yet he still has no idea why he's done so according to his lack of direction for the future. Why would a leader make a move and change things if he cannot explain the expectation for it to be beneficial to the future? Can Do Newman is a absolute joke. He is worse for QLD than the bloody floods.

Commenter

tre

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

March 27, 2013, 6:08PM

Geez , he needs to get rid of that 'green' word or Seeney will have heart attack!

Commenter

fraccinstein

Location

Maryborough

Date and time

March 27, 2013, 6:12PM

The LNP members wanted to hear the plan for the next 12 months, ok I can relate to that. But all they apparently heard was Campbell's 30 year plan!!!!!!!! Does he think he will be in power than long?He obviously thinks that Tony Abbott will be PM by then (heaven help us all) and will help him with his long term plans for Queensland. I think he is delusional, Australia is a very large country with many states with many problems, all saying "gimme gimme gimme" from the new PM, I don't think they will take Campbell seriously, after all, the people of Queensland don't.

Commenter

Pat Hall

Location

Capalava

Date and time

March 27, 2013, 6:23PM

Mr Newman with his road centric approach to transport and his failure to address the urgent needs of rail infrastructure in a meaningful way is imposing higher freight costs on those living anywhere north of Gympie or in the west of the state.The failure to complete the duplication of the main northern rail line beyond Beerburrum to Nambour has created a bottle neck without the capacity to operate more trains not only restricting passenger commuter services but freight services to the north forcing more freight on to an already overstressed road system.Further failures that adversly the ecenomic future of the state as a whole are the delay in the construction of the Cross River Rail Link, the shortsighted approach that has failed to provide adequate parking at Springfield and Springfield Central stations or construct the station at Ellengrove both of these failures will condem the Springfield rail line to underutilization and the peoploe of this State to further expense with the hugely more costly to the public purse to remedy these obvious shortcomings.Mr Newman's constant bleat that all of these failings are the previous governments fault no longer holds credibility, he has been in government now for over a year and has to date done little other than sack thousands of workers.Thime Mr Newman to put up or shut up.

Commenter

Queensland voter

Location

Ashgrove

Date and time

March 27, 2013, 6:48PM

"If we don't know where we are going we could end up anywhere". So they admit that they have no idea where they are or where they're going. Yikes.

Commenter

Peter Ward

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

March 27, 2013, 7:54PM

Is it just me, or was there no mention of unemployment going down to 4%? And "Green Shoots"? Not even catchy. As for governments having vision, why have mass sackings when attrition and VERS (Voluntary Early Retirement) would have had a more subtle and gentle effect?

""In the year ahead, I am very confident we will see the fruits from Jeff Seeney's hard work in regards to the Galilee Basin and Surat Basin infrastructure as well as the Surat Basin rail project," Mr Newman said on resources, which is one of the LNP's touted four economic pillars." Amazing, started under Labor, but he is claiming credit for it. So if anything goes wrong, or there has been bribes, it is then the LNP that have to answer for it, being theirs and theirs alone?

Tourism, all I have seen is a few ads. And more tourists, in Christmas, why then?

As for construction, that is a very limp list of actual construction projects.

Commenter

wdawes

Date and time

March 27, 2013, 8:01PM

Business is suffering from a high $A, due to the mining industry, but the Newman Government has pretty much gotten rid of business assistance in any form, yet they expect business to continue to pay tax - payroll tax, stamp duty etc. It is like seeing someone hit by a bus and then stealing their wallet. This is definitely not a business friendly Government - unless you are a foreign owned multi-national.

Commenter

Verdad

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

March 28, 2013, 9:55AM

Once again Newman actually said nothing! He will go down in history as the worst Premier in Queensland's history. He has not created one job and Queensland's unemployment rate will go through the roof. Queensland is a very unhappy place.

Commenter

Rosie

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

March 27, 2013, 8:49PM

Bring on an early election Newman. You'll fully understand the concept of the tide very quickly turning.

Commenter

PeterH

Location

Burleigh

Date and time

March 27, 2013, 11:51PM

Sounds more like a used car salesman everyday (with apologies to car salesman) - empty promises, dodgy deals and no credibility.